Arsenal Women made to work hard against Hoffenheim but run out easy winners

Home soil helped clinical Arsenal gain all three points!

All eyes were on the women last night as they stepped out for their second Champions League match in a week.

After losing 4-1 in a heavy defeat to Barcelona last time out, questions were raised about whether they have what it takes to make it in the Champions League, despite their emphatic and unbeaten start to the Womens Super League season.

And in a rather even game it was touch and go at times where Arsenal were really put under pressure, but with goals from Kim Little, Tobin Heath, Vivianne Miedema and Leah Williamson the scoreline looked more comfortable than it was and Arsenal remain unbeaten at home.

They put the Barcelona defeat behind them and finally managed to get their first three points on the board where they now sit second in the table, ahead of Hoffenheim and three points behind leaders Barcelona.

So, it was smiles all around after a tough game and one person that surely would be relieved at the win would be Miedema, who broke her three game no scoring duck and got back on the scoresheet after a poachers goal in which she had Jordan Nobbs to thank. She took a shot which looked like it was going into the far post before the goalkeeper parried away into the path of Miedema who tapped it in. She probably won’t get an easier goal this season, but it is nice to see her finally on the scoresheet again.

Hoffenheim will be disappointed not to score after all the chances they had, but that was down to Manuela Zinsberger and the Arsenal defence, but really the quality of Arsenal’s attacking players and their clinical finishing was the difference between the two teams. For that fact alone it was a deserved win despite Arsenal, being made to work for it.

The women now go into an international break sitting pretty at the top of the WSL table, second in the Champions League group and a semi-final of the FA Cup to look forward to, where they will face Brighton in their first fixture back for a place in the final.

So, all in all despite their one loss so far coming heavily to Barcelona last week everything seems rather rosy for the Arsenal women and if they can get those feet in the final and win then it really might be another great year for our women!

Shenel Osman

@sh3n3l_